SHILLONG, FEB 11: The Congress and the United Democratic Party (UDP), one of the biggest regional parties in the state, have found a common ground as both the parties have promised to deal with the age-old issue of corruption even as the electoral rivals have touched on employment generation plans to tackle the galloping unemployment issue in the state.
The manifestos of both the Congress and the UDP, which were released on Monday, read almost similar but had nothing that either party had not promised in earlier elections. Manifestos of both the parties in earlier elections had touched on employment generation for youths, curbing corruptions, women empowerment, power generation and road connectivity.
Coincidentally, both the Congress and the UDP have thoughtfully put new issues like tackling with road congestion and even used the same term “inclusive growth” to describe its agenda to bring-about development in the state.
While UDP working president Bindo M Lanong who released the party manifesto at the Khasi National Durbar Hall in the presence of his party colleague working president Paul Lyngdoh besides party workers, supporters and few candidates claimed that his party’s manifesto is one of the best even as he underscored that the party will amend the Lokayukta law to make it more effective and strong.
UDP’s rival the Congress whose All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Meghalaya Oscar Fernandes released the party manifesto at Pinewood Hotel in the presence of chief minister Mukul Sangma and said everything has found a place in the Congress manifesto including bringing in legislation a unique law on “social audits” of all government programs.
While the Congress has promised to focus on women by creating opportunities for them in term of employment by initiating reservation of women in police force and creating ten thousand job opportunity for them in women centric industries, the UDP speaks more about rising crime on women and promised it will consider seriously the creation of separate women police battalion.
On the employment generation front the UDP said it will work to facilitate setting up of cottage and small industries by unemployed youths and also opening up of avenues in veterinary farming, horticulture, floriculture, pisciculture, sericulture and weaving, the Congress, said Sangma, will focus on up-scaling the capacity of the youth so that they can be accessible to jobs within and outside the country.
Both the parties have touched on the daily problem faced by the people of traffic congestion in Shillong city as the UDP promised to try and free the state capital city and district headquarters and town from traffic snarls, polluted environment and unplanned growth by widening roads and constructing flyover to regulate traffic movement while ensuring cleanliness.
The Congress, on the other hand, said to address the congestion problem especially in urban areas, there is a need to give a healing touch to the old age infrastructure even as Sangma informed “The Congress is committed to come out with a feasible study for the introduction of mono-rails in Shillong besides upgrading all the highways and expansion of roads.”
The differences in the UDP and Congress manifestos are some of the sops both the parties have offered to the electorates. While UDP promise to setup a special committee to examine the modalities of creating retirement benefits to accredited journalists, the Congress targeting the consumers said it is committed to provide two additional LPG cylinders at a subsidized rate in addition to the nine provided by the union government.
Interestingly the Congress also promised to initiate a fund for providing financial assistance of Rs 15,000 to an orphan
girl for her wedding.- By Our Reporter
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